Now is the time when most people strive to be slim and healthy. Many people try to eat right and choose quality food. I believe that you should always eat right, and not just in cases like “in the summer I need to go to the sea, I’ll sit on buckwheat and chicken for a couple of months, and then we’ll eat up on vacation.” This should become a habit, or better yet, a way of life. In addition, eating right does not mean eating only boiled chicken breast and buckwheat, this is not true at all. Your diet can be more varied. Many people believe that under no circumstances should you eat flour and pasta. Here I will argue with you, this is not at all true. It all depends on the portion sizes and, of course, on the quality of the flour from which the product is made. This is exactly what I want to talk about today, about which flour is harmful, and we get better from it, and which is good for health and figure.
Very often, food processors choose oatmeal, believing that it is healthier and lower in calories. Let's see if this is true.
In fact, it doesn’t matter at all what kind of flour - wheat, oatmeal, buckwheat, rice, corn . The calorie content for all is approximately the same - per 100g approximately from 335 to 365 kcal. Much more important is how it is made. The quality and usefulness of flour will depend on the processing of grain. Here we will look in more detail.
Benefits of oatmeal
Like oatmeal, oat flour must be included in the diet and children's menus. It is easily absorbed by the body, healing and saturating it. The benefits of oatmeal are manifested in the rapid restoration of energy. It also helps normalize heart function and lower blood sugar levels. Helps improve fat metabolism and generally accelerates metabolism.
Oatmeal is believed to be an antidepressant. With regular consumption of oatmeal, the functioning of the musculoskeletal system and the condition of bones improve. The effect is manifested on hair, skin and nails. Athletes report increased muscle growth when adding oatmeal to their diet. Also, the benefits of oatmeal are evident for those who engage in mental work. After all, it is this product that affects the quality of memory. By constantly adding oatmeal to your diet, you can cleanse your body of harmful substances, toxins, and cholesterol. Oatmeal contains two types of fiber (soluble and insoluble), which makes flour products healthy even for diabetics.
Oatmeal is considered an essential nutritional ingredient for drug treatment of the liver. After all, dishes made from it help the body maintain the health of this organ. The benefits of oatmeal are evident for the heart and blood vessels, which with its help get rid of bad cholesterol. Thus, eating oatmeal dishes helps reduce the risk of blood clots. Also, blood pressure normalizes. Oatmeal contains a large amount of vitamin B, which has a positive effect on the functioning of the nervous system. Thanks to its high percentage of protein and fiber, oatmeal is beneficial for athletes. After all, it is these components that help keep muscles toned and increase a person’s ability to work.
Oat products are also used in baby food. Having oatmeal or oatmeal for breakfast will keep your child energetic and active throughout the day. Even before one year old, you need to start feeding your baby oat products. Dishes made from oatmeal are beneficial for children:
- jelly;
- porridge;
- cookies.
And to get even more benefits from these dishes, add various fruits, berries or nuts to them.
Recipes for low-calorie dishes indicating calories and BZHU
Even on a diet, you don’t have to give up your favorite buns, pies and desserts. Low-calorie analogue recipes will smooth the transition from your usual diet to proper nutrition. At the same time, do not forget about portion sizes and the permissible number of dietary treats.
Oat pancakes
Oatmeal pancakes are a well-known dish in the PP system. One of its advantages is versatility. It can be served both as a dessert and as a savory snack, and can be prepared for breakfast and lunch.
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Oatmeal pancakes prepared according to this recipe turn out dense and slightly dry, so they require filling. As a sweet filling, you can take cottage cheese or low-fat cream with fruits and berries. To prepare a salty snack, curd cheese is mixed with herbs and lightly salted fish or boiled chicken. Dry herbs and spices are added if desired.
Advice! Oatmeal pancakes should not be cooked for dinner, since eating any type of baked goods after lunch is prohibited.
Calorie content – 95 kcal.
Used - 9 g/9 g/4 g.
Cookies with cottage cheese and banana
These cookies can be eaten during Lent, as there are no eggs in the recipe. Banana provides the necessary stickiness to the dough.
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You can tell if the cookies are ready by their color change. You can add some dried fruits or nuts to the dough. However, this will increase the calorie content of the finished dish.
Calorie content – 176 kcal.
Used – 11 g/5 g/30 g.
Diet oatmeal cookies with cottage cheese
This dietary recipe made from oatmeal is similar to the previous one. Instead of an apple or banana, you can take any fruit with soft or juicy pulp.
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If desired, you can add any dried fruits, seeds (flax, sesame) or nuts (in small quantities) cut into small pieces to the dough.
Calorie content – 185 kcal.
Used – 9 g/5 g/21 g.
Oatmeal pancakes with apples
Dietary pancakes with apples will be an excellent breakfast, both on weekdays and on weekends.
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You can serve the dish with fresh low-calorie sour cream or soft low-fat cottage cheese and berries.
Calorie content – 113 kcal.
Used - 4 g/2 g/19 g.
French oatmeal buns
Fragrant French buns with cinnamon and ginger are perfect for tea drinking in cold and rainy weather.
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The recipe allows you to experiment with spices and additional ingredients, such as liana seeds or dried fruits.
Important! You need to mix the bun dough with a fork and not with a mixer, since in the latter case the product will not have the structure of grain bread.
Calorie content – 171 kcal.
Used - 7 g/3 g/21 g.
Oat cheesecakes in kefir
Cheese pancakes made from oatmeal and cottage cheese are considered the lowest in calories among all the options with different types of flour.
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Before serving, cheesecakes can be topped with sour cream or sugar-free berry sauce.
Calorie content – 194 kcal.
Used – 13 g/8 g/15 g.
Oatmeal cranberry muffin
You can use either frozen or dried cranberries for this recipe. If desired, it can be replaced with dried cherries or plums. The main thing is that the dried fruits have the necessary sourness.
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You can bake one large cupcake. In this case, the baking time must be increased to 40 minutes.
Calorie content – 210 kcal.
Used - 9 g/6 g/24 g.
Oat crumble with raspberries and peaches
Oatmeal crumble is not only healthy, but also a very tasty breakfast. Both adults and children eat it with pleasure.
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The crumble must be cooled before serving.
Calorie content – 182 kcal.
Used - 7 g/8 g/22 g.
Oatmeal bread
Many people who are losing weight find it especially difficult to give up bread. The dietary version of this baking is not only low in calories, but also contains no yeast.
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To prevent the bread from burning during the process, you can cover it with a sheet of foil.
Calories – 215 kcal.
Used - 8 g/0.8 g/37 g.
Diet charlotte
The recipe for charlotte is well known to every housewife. You can convert it into a low-calorie one by removing sugar and eggs from the recipe, and replacing wheat flour with an oat product.
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Low-fat kefir can be replaced with low-calorie sour cream, and stevia syrup can be added instead of honey.
Calorie content – 75 kcal.
Used - 2.3 g/1.2 g/14.7 g.
Harm and contraindications for consuming oatmeal
Despite all its usefulness, oatmeal can also be harmful. However, it only appears with excessive use. Although oatmeal helps speed up metabolic processes in the body, consuming it in excess can lead to excess weight gain. Therefore, know when to stop. People with individual intolerance to the ingredients that make up it should not get carried away with oatmeal. A negative reaction to gluten, which is part of oat flour, is especially dangerous. In order not to harm their health, such people will have to completely avoid consuming products made from oatmeal.
Mothers who want to add oat flour to their children’s diet should consult a doctor first. The digestive system of a baby under 6 months is not able to break down gluten, and intoxication of the body may begin. After a year, she will no longer react negatively to this component of oatmeal. Introduce oatmeal into your child's diet gradually, starting with small portions. If you have the slightest symptoms of an allergy to a product, exclude it from the menu. Sometimes intolerance persists even after a year, then the use of oat products is contraindicated.
a brief description of
Oats were originally grown in Ancient Greece, Rome, India and some countries in modern Europe. At that time, oats were used as animal feed, and eating them became a huge discovery for the population. Since then, oats have been used to produce oatmeal and oat flour, which are widely used in food production.
What does it look like?
Oatmeal has a crumbly, uniform consistency and a whitish-yellow (cream) hue.
Taste
The taste of oatmeal can be considered neutral. In baked goods or other dishes, it should not taste bitter, as this indicates an expired product or low quality product.
Smell
The smell of oatmeal is almost imperceptible. The baked goods have a light oat aroma.
Is it possible for pregnant and lactating women
Oatmeal and products made from it are useful for women who are expecting a baby and for nursing mothers. The composition of oatmeal is rich in nutrients necessary for a young mother and her developing body. Oat products will strengthen bone tissue, improve the condition of skin and hair, and charge the body for the whole day. It is advisable for pregnant women to consume oatmeal in small quantities so as not to harm the fetus. The baby can accelerate weight gain, which leads to complications during childbirth and deterioration of the child’s health. And gaining excess weight in a woman can provoke diseases of the cardiovascular system, digestive organs, and affect the functioning of the nervous system. Oatmeal is contraindicated for people who react negatively to gluten.
Types and varieties
The modern food industry produces two types of oat flour:
- oatmeal is a product of processing sprouted oat grains;
- classic oat flour obtained by grinding oats.
Depending on the form in which the oats were ground, there are:
- regular flour - it is obtained by grinding the soft part of the grain after removing the hard shell;
- whole grain – it is formed after grinding the grain along with the shell.
Composition of oatmeal
The chemical composition of oatmeal is amazing in the amount of vitamins. Just 100 grams of oat flour contains 13 grams of protein, 6.8 grams of fat, 64.9 grams of carbohydrates. At the same time, the calorie content of oatmeal is 369 kcal. Oatmeal contains B vitamins (B1, B2, B9), vitamin E and PP. Among the macronutrients, the most notable are potassium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium. And among the trace elements are iron, zinc, fluorine, manganese and copper. All these components make oatmeal and products made from it useful for children and adults.
How to do it at home?
Those who want to be sure of the quality of oatmeal can make it at home. Simply grind the oats. You can do this using:
- blender or food processor;
- coffee grinders;
- meat grinders
For all devices, the sequence of cooking actions is the same: the desired amount of oats is poured into the kitchen device and ground to the required flour structure.
Useful tips to help make better oatmeal:
- before grinding, oats should be dried in an oven preheated to 70-100 °C for an hour;
- in electric devices you need to grind flour at medium speeds;
- fill the bowl of the grinding device with oats no more than 2/3 full;
- To calculate the required amount of flour, you should remember that after grinding you will get ¾ oatmeal of the original volume of grain.
After cooking, the resulting flour is poured into a glass container and stored out of reach of sunlight. It should be remembered that the shelf life of homemade flour is shorter than that of store-bought flour: it can be stored for no more than 2 months.
Oatmeal in cooking
Oatmeal is found in many dishes. It is especially often used for preparing dietary baked goods. It is also added to wheat flour to make baked goods crispier and more crumbly. Cookies, biscuits, jelly, pancakes, pancakes, puddings, porridges are made from oatmeal and added to cheesecakes. Many people, wanting to reduce the calorie content of the dishes they prepare, add oatmeal to them. Thus, their usefulness increases. And for even more benefits from baking, add fruits, nuts, honey and homemade cottage cheese to it. Such products help maintain your figure and excellent health. If you can't find oatmeal in the store, don't worry, you can easily make it at home. Simply grind the oatmeal in a blender or coffee grinder until smooth. That's the whole method on how to make oatmeal at home.
Storage Features
Oatmeal powder must be stored correctly. The place where it will stand must be dry, and the container or jar must be hermetically sealed. To extend shelf life, flour can be placed in the freezer. This way it will remain fresh for six months. If kept in a kitchen cabinet, the storage period will be 3 months.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that the benefits of oatmeal powder are lower than those of oatmeal, but it is much more valuable than the wheat variety. The great advantage of flour is that it can be consumed by people with gluten intolerance. The mixture rarely causes harm. The product is used in the preparation of cookies, pancakes, and pancakes. They also cook jelly, which is indicated for diets and diabetes. Oatmeal is an excellent moisturizer and cleanser for the skin and hair.
How to choose oat flour
When purchasing oat flour, pay attention to the packaging. Discard the product in a plastic bag because in it the flour does not have access to oxygen, which leads to a musty smell. Also, pay attention to the manufacturing date of the product. The consistency of high-quality oat flour should be homogeneous, without lumps or foreign particles. And the smell is fresh, clean, without strange or suspicious notes. To check the flour for the absence of foreign ingredients, chew it. If you feel a gritty feeling on your teeth, you know that the product has been diluted with something.
Application in cosmetology
Those who dream of healthy skin should also pay attention to this product and add it to the menu. Rashes and irritations gradually disappear, and the condition of the skin improves. You can also use flour to create homemade masks. Many note that even their short-term use gives excellent results - the skin soon becomes velvety, soft, and glows with health. Thanks to vitamin E, it is moisturized and aging slows down. Vitamin B nourishes it, and amino acids help with collagen production.
A mask made with oatmeal is recommended by cosmetologists for those who often experience inflammation. If you have oily skin, flour is used to effectively remove shine. To do this, take two tablespoons of oatmeal flour, kefir and grapefruit juice. The mixture is applied for 15 minutes, then washed off and cream is applied to the skin.
Dry skin can also be pampered with a healthy mask. Mix 1 tbsp. l. oatmeal, 1 tsp. honey, vegetable oil and lemon juice and add egg yolk. Don't be surprised, the mixture will be runny, but it will dry quickly on the skin. It is recommended to leave the mask on for about 15 minutes, and then, as in the first case, rinse it off and apply your favorite cream to consolidate the result.
On a note . Oatmeal is often used for hair by adding it to the rinse water after shampooing. For three glasses of warm water you need 1 tbsp. l. flour.
Oatmeal kiss: benefits and harm
This dish is considered an excellent option for those who suffer from inflammatory diseases of the digestive system or have recently undergone surgery and now need recovery. Kiss porridge has enveloping properties and helps provide the body with essential minerals and vitamins. There are no contraindications other than celiac disease.
How to prepare a kiss:
- For this dish you need to take 1 tablespoon of flour, 1 liter of water, 5 g of rye sourdough.
- Pour 0.75 liters of water over the porridge, add rye sourdough and leave overnight.
- In the morning, mix thoroughly again and strain through a fine sieve.
- The resulting liquid is brought to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 3-5 minutes.
- To avoid burning the kiss, stir regularly.
How to store?
It is known that under the correct storage conditions, oatmeal can remain edible for up to 2 years.
Conditions
Ideal storage conditions for oatmeal would be a temperature of +5...+18 °C (the maximum permissible temperature is +20 °C) and air humidity of no more than 75%.
After purchasing and opening a package of flour, it is recommended to pour it into a dry glass container. Due to the fact that oatmeal easily absorbs foreign odors, it should be stored away from foods with a strong aroma.
There are also some requirements for the storage location: it must be well ventilated and inaccessible to direct sunlight. A good option would be a kitchen cabinet or pantry.
Deadlines
Under proper conditions, the shelf life of oatmeal is 6 months.
In factories where flour is stored at low temperatures, its shelf life is 2 years.
How to avoid insects?
The appearance of small bugs in flour is a fairly common occurrence. You can prevent this by putting the following in a jar of flour:
- a few cloves of garlic, the smell of which repels insects;
- dried calendula flowers.
If these methods do not help and insects still appear in the flour, you should not eat such a product.
